Rail bender



M. ALLEN RAIL BENDER Aug. 30, 1938.

Filed Dec. 1, 1936 j fatt Allen/ INVENTOR fl5mw ATTORN EYS WITNESS Patented Aug. 30, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The invention relates to a bending device and more especially to a rail bender.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein a rail can be readily and easily bent and such device is susceptible of being operated by one person for the bending of such rail and the bending operation being carried forth with dispatch and without excessive labor on the part of the operator of such device.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, which is extremely simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and effective in operation, readily and easily handled, portable, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which discloses the preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device constructed in accordance with the invention applied to a railway rail.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail the device comprises a substantially horseshoe shaped frame 5 made from metal open at one end and closed at the opposite end through a cross web 6, the latter being thickened with respect to the legs I of this frame and has formed medially therein a V- shaped seat 8 as well as a hole 9 intersecting said seat at its center.

The legs I of the frame 5 at the open end of the latter are formed with jaw terminals III for receiving the head or base of a rail, a portion thereof being indicated at I I, to be bent. Slidable through the hole 9 in the web 6 is a shift rod I2 having the threaded end I3 and the opposite jaw end I 4 in the form of a hook for engaging with the said rail II.

At the threaded end I3 of the rod I2 is a rotatable cam head I5 having a cam face I6 contacting with the seat 8 in the web 6 of the frame 5 while threaded upon the threaded end I3 of the rod I2 is an externally knurled adjusting nut I! for the purpose of advancing the head I5 on the rod for coaction of the cam face I6 with the seat 8 in the web 6 of the frame 5.

Interposed between the head I 5 and the nut I! are antifriction bearings I8, these being suitably caged so as to reduce friction between the said head and the nut IT on the turning of the head I5 for effecting the bending operation of the device.

The head I5 is formed with a lateral socket extension I9 for accommodating the handle 20 serving for leverage upon the head I5 to turn the same in the coaction of the cam face I6 with the seat 8 in the web 6 of the frame 5.

In operation the rail II to be bent is seated in the jaws III and I4 of the frame 5 and rod I2, respectively, these working in opposition to each other, and on adjustment of the nut II upon the rod I2 the head I5 is tightened against the web 6 so that when the head I5 is rotated by the handle 20 through cam action of this head in the seat 8 the bending of the rail I I will be effected.

The seat 8 in the web 6 is of substantially V formation and the cam face I6 rides therein on the turning of the head I5 of the device.

What is claimed is:

A rail bender comprising a substantially horseshoe shaped frame forming spaced legs and, a cross connecting web, the web being thickened medially thereof, a rod slidably fitted in the thickened portion of the web of said frame, hook-like jaws formed on the legs and said rod, respectively, a cam head rotatable on the rod outside of the web of the frame, the web being formed with a substantially V-shaped recess, a V-shaped cam face on said head next to the recess and engageable therein, a screw-moving nut engaged on the rod next to the head for holding the cam face in coacting relation to the recess, interposed antifriction bearings between the head and the said nut, and a handle receiving extension formed on and extending laterally from the head.

MATT ALLEN. 

